Heidi Riddlesperger loves that her house sits on a street lined with majestic oak trees and historic homes. But she also knows that beneath her front yard lies an inevitable and potentially pricey repair.

"I have an old house, and the lateral sewer line has always been a worry for me," the St. Louis member says.

Riddlesperger has reasons to be concerned about the condition of the pipe connecting her 1940 home's plumbing to the city main that runs down her street.

"Several friends of ours who have had older homes here have had to replace their sewer lines," Riddlesperger says. "It's an expensive repair."

Not only can sewer pipe replacement take a chunk out of your wallet — from a few thousand to $20,000 or more — traditional methods can be disruptive, displacing landscaping and hardscaping, and even forcing unlucky homeowners to dig up garages and driveways when their lines run beneath them.

But for those looking to bypass the backhoe, there are new methods of "no dig" sewer replacement that can save homeowners holes and heartburn.

When sewer line repairs are necessary

Experts say how long a sewer will last depends on various factors that affect its integrity, but if your sewer is 40 years old, it may need replacing.

Even if your home is new, its plumbing might be connected to an older pipe. Nearly a quarter of Angie's List members who responded to an online poll have replaced their sewer and 3 percent say it's a project in their imminent future.

"This is my biggest fear — HELP!" wrote one respondent.

Trenchless methods came on the market for residential homes about 10 to 15 years ago, but many consumers are still unaware that they're an option. And because sewer pipe replacement decisions are often made when an emergency situation arises, it limits time to do important research.

"People panic — I've seen jobs where these contractors really rip the eyeballs out of their customers," says Andrew Wyderka, vice president of Heiden Plumbing Company in Milwaukee.

Trenchless sewer line techniques

Heiden Plumbing offers two types of trenchless sewer line replacement that are becoming more popular among homeowners — "pipe lining" and "pipe bursting." To install a pipe liner, which is also known as "cured in place pipe," a flexible tube coated with resin is blown or pulled into the damaged pipe and inflated.

After several hours the resin hardens, creating a "pipe within a pipe."

About 78 percent of Angie's List poll respondents hadn't heard of "no dig" sewer technology, but 73 percent say they'd pay more for sewer pipe replacement if it would preserve their existing landscaping, patio, deck or other outdoor features. Of those who'd had their lines replaced by any method, 17 percent paid more than $5,000.

"I wanted to avoid all of the disruption — having to dig up the yard and going through all that hoo-ha," says Fort Collins, Colorado, member Iain Stewart, who paid $6,000 for pipe lining after tree roots invaded the lateral about three years ago.

Stewart avoided costs associated with digging up his driveway and a stone walkway. "It represented a more cost-effective and less risky solution," he says.

A sleeve is pulled into an old sewer line and compressed against the pipe wall.

Root of your sewer problem

While acts of nature, accidents or gradual wear can damage sewer lines, the most common culprit in homes built before the 1970s is the intrusion of tree roots into the joints of the pipes, which can be made of clay, cast iron or Orangeburg, a substance made of wood fibers and pitch.

"The roots worm their way into the sewer to find water," says Matt Hart of Hart 2 Hart Plumbing in Monrovia, California, who has been offering trenchless solutions for about six years. "They continue to grow and expand and then they call their neighbors and cousins to come drink."

Hiring a professional to rout your line using an auger or water jet can stem root problems temporarily, but you should also consider the roots a canary in the coal mine.

"Routing is like getting a haircut — you get it cut and it keeps growing," says Jack Simonson, president of The Scottish Plumber, a contractor based in Villa Park, Illinois. Begin researching your options before you have another backup.

Reducing sewer line costs

In many cases, going trenchless can save you money, including the majority of situations where homeowners are responsible for the condition of the sewer line to its connection with the sewer main.

Simonson says in his service area around Chicago, it used to be more common that homeowners were only responsible for the sewer pipe beneath their properties, but municipalities looking to tighten budgets are now more likely to require them to foot the bill to the city's main connection.

Inquire with your city for details.

If Nathan Appleton had gone the traditional trenching route, he'd have had to spend $4,000 to dig up the street in front of his Seattle home, pay for traffic to be rerouted and repair the thoroughfare to city specifications.

"The first estimate came back at just under $20,000," says Appleton, whose sticker shock inspired him to shop around and read about trenchless technologies.

Appleton hired Budget Sewer to replace the clay pipe, which required a combination of pipe bursting and pipe lining due to its unusual configuration and the section beneath the street.

He chose Budget out of about a dozen other Seattle-area contractors he spoke to because they were equipped to do bursting or lining, and offered a bid of $12,000 to do the job without disturbing the street.

"These guys could do either method, they could give you an answer for what was best," Appleton says.

Experts stress that costs for trenchless will vary, depending on factors like material prices, soil type and how deep sewers are buried. Hart estimates that trenchless can cost about 30 percent more in California due to high material costs, while Wyderka of Milwaukee estimates costs at around $100 per foot for any method, with trenchless slightly outpacing traditional.

Hart says pipe bursting is about 20 percent less expensive than lining in his area and Wyderka says pipe bursting is 15 percent more expensive than lining in his due to sewer depth, which averages 9 feet.

Trenching still an option

For some homeowners, trenching may still be the best option. When Marietta, Georgia, member Karen Kaderlik's sewer line backed up, she and her husband were already planning myriad home improvement projects, including replacing the windows, siding and gutters, and their landscaping had been compromised by an ongoing drought.

"What I was impressed with was how they finished the job — it was compacted, raked," she says.

Coolray advised Kaderlik wait at least six months for the ground to settle before replanting the yard.

Your options may be limited by the condition of your pipes, their configuration, or where you live. In Chicago, for example, pipe lining is allowed, but pipe bursting is prohibited due to their close proximity to other utility lines, says Gary Litherland, a city spokesman.

Some contractors may only offer one or the other option, so shop around.

Member Bayle Emlein of Oakland, California, knew she'd eventually have to replace the sewer connected to her 1916 bungalow after having to rout tree roots from her line multiple times.

"Rather than waiting for the next backup, I became proactive," says Emlein, who hired Toto's Plumbing in nearby Berkeley to replace her sewer using pipe bursting.

The $4,200 job, which involved digging up and replacing a small section of sidewalk, only took a day and a half and allowed her to preserve the flowers in her front yard.

"I've been here awhile and I'm attached to them," Emlein says.

Sewer line replacement take planning

Experts say it's a good idea to inspect a sewer line with a camera before you purchase a home.

"The last thing you want is to have a $3,000 to $5,000 sewer problem right when you move in," says Wyderka in Milwaukee.

A few cities around the nation, like Tacoma, Washington, have begun requiring an inspection before selling a home, but National Association of Realtors spokesman Walter Molony says the practice isn't widespread.

Even if you've lived in your home for years, it's worth hiring a professional to examine your line. That way, you can budget for future repairs or replacement, and don't have to make snap decisions when an emergency happens.

Inspection prices usually run between $250 to $350. Some companies advertise free or reduced rate inspections, but make sure the contractor is reputable and there are no hidden fees.

"It's not a very fun or very glamorous repair," says Minneapolis member Tess Surprenant, echoing a sentiment shared by many members who've had to replace their sewer lines. But, she says, it's better not to put off repairs.

is a senior interactive editor at Angie's List. She joined the company in 2009 after working in the daily news business. A Windy City-area native, Emily holds a bachelor’s degree in English from the University of Chicago and a master’s degree in journalism from Northwestern University’s Medill School of Journalism, where she graduated as one of the first McCormick Scholars.

Call several local plumbers and ask if they have a sewer inspection camera. The newer models have a recording feature so that you can view it on your laptop or desktop PC. They can find out if there is pipe settlement, clog in the pipe, grease plug (never pour grease down your sinks!), broken pipe or tree roots in the sewer line

Sorry you're having trouble finding what you're looking for. I've passed your message along to our team, but you can always contact our Member Services team at memberservices@angieslist.com or 1-888-944-LIST (5478). They would be more than happy to help you search the List to find the exact information you're looking for.

Our company does nothing but focus on trenchless pipe lining and no @kat it's not too new because we we're just added to Angie's list! Just search pipe lining, plus your area or state and you should find somebody that does this. I know if you Google that for any of the areas that we cover we show up right at the top of Google!

Good luck on your search and thanks for getting the word out about our industry Angie!

Thanks for this- I'd never heard of it. We live in an 100 year old house in SC. We also have a septic tank, and being from California, we are not knowledgable about them. Could you do a similar article on septic tanks?

Answers

First - NOT full septic tank - if that was the case you would be getting backup of sewage into the lowest drains in the house, and possible very slow flushing or refusal to drain out of the bowl - the opposite of your case.

Second - I assume you are the owner. If a renter or on a lease, this type of problem may be the responsibility of your landlord, depending on the terms of your lease or rental agreement.

OK - two possible situations here - low water in BOWL, or low water in TANK. I am assuming your toilet flushes OK, with adequate water to clean out the bowl, and that it is a typical type toilet with a tank sitting on the back of the bowl. If this is not the case and it is a designer toilet or looks like those at public restrooms (no tank), then the BOWL answers still apply if it is initially refilling OK, but if not enough refill water coming in at all then call a plumber.

First, low water in the toilet BOWL case. If the water in the toilet BOWL is low after flushing, I see four likely causes, in order of most likelihood -

1) the fill valve is not putting enough water into the toilet bowl. If you take the top off the tank, you will see a small hose (typically black plastic) coming from the fill valve (a vertical mechanism, usually at left side of tank, that the incoming water tube or flex hose connects to the bottom of on the bottom side of the tank). While the tank is refilling after a flush, a steady but not large flow of water flows through this fill tube and down into a vertical pipe or tube (usually brass or plastic and about 3/4 inch diameter, which stands almost full height of tank). The small tube puts water into this pipe, from where it flows into and refills the toilet bowl. This is also the overflow tube, which keeps the tank from overflowing if the fill valve fails to shut off. If the fill valve has a problem or the fill tube has a blockage, it may not be letting enough water into the bowl. Also, check the tube is actually pointed down into the overflow tube - if the clip came loose, rusted away or broke, then it may just be filling the toilet tank rather than the bowl. Check that a steady flow (will not be a real foreceful jet) of water is flowing out of this tube into the overflow pipe while the toilet tank is refilling. You should also see the bowl filling up at this time. If it come in but does not fill high enough because it does not run long enough, some fill valves have an adjustment - check fill valve manufacturer website for instructions. Others just have to be replaced - doable if you are handy at home repairs (see web videos on how to do it), or call a plumber for probably about $150-200 to replace fill valve (have him replace the flapper valve at same time if you get this done).

2) there is something like a rag or string caught in the trap (the waste passage within the toilet body itself) which is slowly wicking the bowl water down the drain - would be solved by a good snaking. If this is the case, the bowl will fill fully after flushing, but then slowly (typically many minutes to hours) drain down to just filling the start of the oval or round drain passageway where the waste passage starts to curve up into the toilet body.

3) blocked sewer vent pipe (which vents sewer gas and lets air into the sewer system so when you flush the traps in drains and toilets and such do not get sucked dry by the vacumn caused by the exiting flow. If this is the problem, then several drains in your house may have the same problem, or drain slowly. When you flush, the water will drain totally down the pipe and almost all the water in the bowl and trap will go down the drain too, typically with a gurgling sound for a few seconds at the end as the air seal is broken in the trap, then a small amount of water will flow back from the trap into the bowl, leaving you with water in the entrance curve to the trap but nowhere near normal height in the bowl - maybe not even enough to fill the entrance of the drain passage.

4) a crack in the toilet, letting water gradually leak out of the bowl onto the floor or into the subfloor. If this has been going on for long at all you should see water on the floor, or water coming out in the ceiling downstairs, or in the basement or crawl space under the toilet.

Case 2 - the problem is low water in the toilet TANK - since this is a sudden problem, two likely causes:

1) the float arm has corroded or the float setting has moved. Look in tank for any broken part. You may have a black ball on the end of a metal or plastic arm connected to the fill valve (which is the part, normally at the left side of the tank, that the flexible or copper tubing comes into at the bottom of the tank), or it may be a sliding cylindrical float that slides up and down on the fill valve (typically all plastic) - see if it is broken or loose or alll corroded up (for the arm type). When you flush, this float hangs down (if lever type) or slides down the fill valve (cylinder type), opening the fill valve so fresh water comes in to fill the tank and bowl. As the tank fills it lifts this float, till at the proper elevation the bouyancy of the float shuts off the fill valve. If the setting on this float has changed then it will either cause the toilet to "run" continually because it is trying to overfill the tank (float shuts off at too high a level, so water is continuously flowing down into the overflow tube and into the bowl); or it will shut off too soon, causing only a partial tank fill. There are adjustments to adjust the float shutoff setting - typically an adjustment xxxx on the arm-type, and a slider stop clip on a small rod for the sliding type. See web videos on how to adjust this, or call a plumber.

2) your flapper valve (in bottom of tank, the part a chain or cord or rod connects to the flush handle, which opens it when you flush the toilet, leaks. If it leaks AND the fill valve is working, the tank level drops till the fill valve opens, then the tank refills. This repeats at intervals, with the tank refilling periodically even though it has not been flushed. May need new flapper valve or just a good wiping of the sealing surface to remove grit that is causin it to leak. If this is the problem you will have a slight flow of water into the bowl continually, and will probably see a slight ripple in the toilet bowl.

3) water is leaking out of the fittings or bolt holes on the bottom of the tank. If this is happening enough to make you notice low takn water level, the tank will refill periodically the same as if the flapper valve is leaking, plus you will have water on the floor and dripping off the bottom of the tank.

Fill valve and flapper valves each cost around $15 if you do it yourself (you can buy just replacement flapper for less if that is the problem and the matching seal is good, but that is rarely the case). A plumber call to replace both probably $150-200, ASSUMING your water shutoff valve (at the wall, under the tank, with a flex or copper tube coming fromit up to the toilet tank) will work.. If it will not shut off the flow of water, then add another $50-150 to replace that, depending on how it is plumbed and whether he has to cut into the wall to replace it (rarely required). If you do go and have a plumber do it, have both the fill valve and flapper valve (and flush handle, if aluminum or brass and corroded) replaced at the same time, as all tend to go out with age - every 10 years or so. You don't want to have to call the plumber to replace another part in just a year or two.

From the sounds of it, you have a clog between the floor drain and the connection to the city sewer (unless you have a septic tank). The lower flow rates of sinks / showers / dishwashers probable don't cause a backup like the washing machine does. A couple of suggestions.

1. Snake the drain line with a spade tip snake, twisting the snake as you advance it. This should clear the partial blockage.

2. If feasable, have your washing machine discharge into a utility sink and put a strainer on the drain to catch the clothing fibre (fibres and grease from the sink probably made the clog in the first place not to mention a garbage disposal).

3. Replace your floor drain with one that has a backflow preventer (looks like there is a ping pong ball in it).

It is not uncommon for a plumber to have to go get the parts necessary to repair and complete the job. It is very hard to determine what the problem is over the phone and it is not until the repair process begins that the parts needed to resolve the problem is discovered. It may also depend on if the plumber is using hourly rates or per job rates. I would hope the time to get the parts would be minimal and the charge would be as well!

Well , you've certainly started a debate that will endure forever , but personally , having worked with both products , PEX is a better product . Now granted , the 1st time i used it

I was not impressed , cause it leaked.......NOT because the product was at fault, it was because I did not understand how to use the product !

The trick to using Pex , is to make certain that the fittings seat, they MUST be pushed together with force, and if you do not push with force to get the seat to seal, it leaks .

Therefore , when using PEX , you have constantly to be aware of leaving room to make your connections -Properly !

The beauty of PEX is that it bends , it is flexible and decreases the labor factor ,although the connection costs are often 100-300 % higher than copper , but again , it can cut labor costs in half and it is safer to work with, NO FLAMEs!